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Thread: Introduction

  1. #1
    Senior Member Chris's Avatar
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    Introduction

    I'm tapering off 50mg zoloft (generic)

  2. #2
    Founder Sheila's Avatar
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    Welcome, annie! Can you tell us a bit more?

    How long have you been taking Zoloft?
    Why were you prescribed Zoloft?
    When did you start tapering?
    Why did you decide to start tapering?
    How is the taper going?

    Tell us anything else you want to tell us or would like help with.
    Meds free since June 2005.

    "An initiation into shamanic healing means a devaluation of all values, an overturning of the profane world, a peeling away of inveterate handed-down notions of the world, liberation from everything preconceived. For that reason, shamanism is closely connected with suffering. One must suffer the disintegration of one's own system of thought in order to perceive a new world in the higher space."
    -- Holger Kalweit

  3. #3
    Senior Member Chris's Avatar
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    Introduction

    I agree with what Iggy wrote: "Yes, I want him to listen, I want him to validate but I think the most important thing is I want my drs to see that I'm not crazy, this could educate them, and in turn they would look into it and perhaps educate others, this is how we make a difference."
    I've been on SSRIs a long time and struggled with withdrawal. I'm looking for a place where my experience is validated. The official denial--cover up-- of the severity of the withdrawal is a big problem for me. I'm very well read, analytical and educated. But I also think I need to move beyond analysis. But that's where I'm at now. My contradiction is that understanding the big picture doesn't help with withdrawal much --understanding it doesn't make the debilitating symptoms any easier.Still, I want to understand. Is there a place on this forum for discussing the official medical establishment? I'm looking for information that will help me get off this drug. I'm looking for a community of peers. Everyone's experience is unique. But we also need a community of those who have similar experiences. The experience with SSRIs casts doubt on anyone who thinks they have all the answers (including me). If there were experts who could help, that would be great, but I haven't been able to find a doctor who understands the problem. My experience with SSRIs calls into question the concept of experts. In my understanding, each SSRI has its own unique withdrawal challenges, while they share some aspects. Science seeks absolute certainty and predictability so the subjective and various experiences with withdrawal from SSRIs doesn't fit that model.Honestly, though, my fixation on the inadequacy of the official version stems from my parents who gave me alot of inaccurate information about myself. My current perception of Zoloft is that it masked some painful feelings--and allowed me to exist out of touch with myself. This is not the way to recovery. You can't solve a problem you can't feel. The problem with withdrawal is that the total disruption of biochemistry caused by withdrawal of the drug brings on a drug induced sense of disequilibrium that can be interpreted as being insane --a completely different condition and set of symptoms from those that occasioned taking the SSRI in the first place. If I could, I would write off the medical establishment entirely,and never go to a pharmacy again and just let them exist in their delusional world, but unfortunately I'm stuck in the middle until I can get off this drug.

  4. #4
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    Welcome Annie, where are you in the world? there are several drs who understand and although they dont have the answers they do acknowledge that protracted w/d is a very real thing!
    Put on citalopram July 2009 during a physical illness - didnt need it. 40mg
    went down to 20mg July 2010 CT in Jan 2012 - 2.5 years on.
    Tried to restart July 2012 due to 1 panic attack (never had one before - start of CT W/D) - adverse reaction
    Down to 1.5mg from the failed RI
    Now at 0.48 and trying to stabalize - been 6 weeks
    now have SEVERE anxiety, akathsia, feel like Im on acid 24/7 depression, D/P, signed off work. Scared of everything..please God let me heal from this

  5. #5
    Senior Member Chris's Avatar
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    I'm in Seattle Washington

  6. #6
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    hmmm, well Dr Shipko is in CA, would you travle that far to see someone?
    Put on citalopram July 2009 during a physical illness - didnt need it. 40mg
    went down to 20mg July 2010 CT in Jan 2012 - 2.5 years on.
    Tried to restart July 2012 due to 1 panic attack (never had one before - start of CT W/D) - adverse reaction
    Down to 1.5mg from the failed RI
    Now at 0.48 and trying to stabalize - been 6 weeks
    now have SEVERE anxiety, akathsia, feel like Im on acid 24/7 depression, D/P, signed off work. Scared of everything..please God let me heal from this

  7. #7
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    50mg zoloft is quite a small dose isnt it? update us all with the answers to Shelias questions above, they will be able to give you some really good tapering advice
    Put on citalopram July 2009 during a physical illness - didnt need it. 40mg
    went down to 20mg July 2010 CT in Jan 2012 - 2.5 years on.
    Tried to restart July 2012 due to 1 panic attack (never had one before - start of CT W/D) - adverse reaction
    Down to 1.5mg from the failed RI
    Now at 0.48 and trying to stabalize - been 6 weeks
    now have SEVERE anxiety, akathsia, feel like Im on acid 24/7 depression, D/P, signed off work. Scared of everything..please God let me heal from this

  8. #8
    Founder Luc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by annie View Post
    I've been on SSRIs a long time and struggled with withdrawal. I'm looking for a place where my experience is validated. The official denial--cover up-- of the severity of the withdrawal is a big problem for me. I'm very well read, analytical and educated. But I also think I need to move beyond analysis. But that's where I'm at now. My contradiction is that understanding the big picture doesn't help with withdrawal much --understanding it doesn't make the debilitating symptoms any easier.Still, I want to understand. Is there a place on this forum for discussing the official medical establishment? I'm looking for information that will help me get off this drug. I'm looking for a community of peers.
    Hello, Annie! Welcome to IAWP. It all depends on the topic, but, in the most general terms; if you have any ideas you would like to share that may help in changing things for the better, there's the Taking Action sub-forum. To share the info, articles, links, videos about psychiatry, neuroscience (and others) and discuss them with others, there's the Media sub-forum. Also, there are a lot of discussions going on in the threads in other sub-forums. If you find any of them interesting, you are very welcome to join them.

    Yes, you will find lots of validation on IAWP. We all have been through the same, so we perfectly understand your position on the current state of affairs in a medical field.
    Keep walking. Just keep walking.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Chris's Avatar
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    Thank-you. Can I edit my posts? I want to change the title of my post in Symptoms and Relief from "Zoloft" to " "Visual distortions"

  10. #10
    Founder Luc's Avatar
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    I fixed it. Yes, there is an option to edit your posts (the text, not the title though) - the system (vBulletin) allows for this change several minutes after the post is made.
    Keep walking. Just keep walking.

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